The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-17
ARRESTED FOR TWO CRIMES
Ada Beckner Taken Into Custody on the
Charges of Arson and Murder.
A Discarded Lover Charges Her with Having
Confessed that She Set Fire to a Dis
reputable House in Shelbyyille.

On the night of Sept. "a 1888. disreputable
house in Shelbyville, kept by Kate Wells. alias
Ida Moore, was burned and with it two of its
inmates. Mary Wells and Flora Ganets- It was
evident that the fire was of incendiary origin.
the only occupant of the house besides the two
girls who lost their lives Miss Wells,
the keeper When the FIRE broke out
she away from home, and as
she had had some trouble with the owner of the
property Mrs. Elizabeth Ross. she was immedi-
ately arrested and charged with arson and MUIR
der. Her case in court for a year or more,
butshe was finally acquitted because the circum-
srantial evideuce not sufficient to convict
her. Detectives were put upon the case, but
two years ago they gave mp the search for the
person who fired the house.
Last night, at o'clock, Captain Campbell and
Deputy Marshal Lowe. of Shelbyvi.le, arrested
Ada Beckner, of this city. and locked her In the
station house. as fugitive, charged with being
the person who fired the house. The woman is
but twenty years of age, and for nearly three
years has been the horsekeeper at Maria Mabbs
place, on New Jersey street Her parents live
at Shelbyville, and at the time Of the burning of
the house she was a school girl Her arrest was
made on an affidavit sworn out by Mrs. Ross,
the owner of the destroyed property. and is the
result Of an alleged confession the girl made last
Tuesday to a young man from Shelbyville. He
claims that to him she told the story of the burn
ing Of the house and her connection with the
deed along with two other girls. They had been
frequenting the house. and in some way Miss
Wells. the keeper, had aroused their ILL will.
They determined to have revenge and selecting
a night when they believed all the occupants of
the place were away from home. they set FIRE to
the house
After the young man had heard the girl g
story he put Detective Bruce in possession of
the facts, and together they went to Shelbvville
and went through the coroner's evidence. There
was much testimony found to substantate Miss
Beckuer's story. and the warrant for her arrest
was accordingly sworn out. The girls who kept
company with Beckner when the crime WAS
committed have been located. and Deputy Mar
shall Low says they, too. will be arrested
Miss Beckner talked freely in the station
house last night, and denied emphatcally that
she had ever made any confession to any one,
because she had nothing to confess. She re-
membered we'll the burning of the honse and its
inmates, and said she knew Miss Wells, the
keeper of the house, but never had any enmity
toward her.
After the arrest of the girl, it was learned
that William Smith, to whom the confession Is
alleged to have been made, was in the city, and
in order to prevent him from escaping he
taken into custody and will be sent to Shelby,
Vile this morning. He tells very disconnected
story about what the girl told him. and admits
himself that he was formerly on good terms
with her, but was some time ago discarded.